Howard Johnson earned his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in microbiology at The Ohio State University in 1958, 1959, and 1962, respectively, and he is a Graduate Research Professor in The University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell Science. Johnson’s research efforts are focused on understanding the mechanism of action and modulation of cytokine function in the immune system in hopes of developing anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor compounds. His work has resulted in numerous publications on immunological signaling pathways. He has served on several review panels and editorial boards, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, Science, and The Journal of Immunology. He authored an essay entitled "The Life of a Black Scientist" in Scientific American. Johnson has been a member of Sigma Xi, the NIAID National Advisory Council, the American Academy of Microbiology, and ASM.